


Understated Immortality

by SatyricalMess



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 18:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15125021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatyricalMess/pseuds/SatyricalMess
Summary: Palawa Joko enjoys a change of scenery every so often - and the pact commander has so much control, it's practically begging to be taken. The change doesn't go quite so swimmingly, however, as the commander resists his control. Ah well - the back seat is still fun, and eventually he'll be able to animate her corpse.A divergence from the end of living world S4E3 'Long Live the Lich'. The story is very short at the moment, and I don't know if it will continue or where it will go.





	Understated Immortality

“Oh, commander. I think it's time for a change of scenery - I think I'd quite like to play the hero”

 

Joko stepped forward, the commander frozen before him, and tapped his finger on her head. She was sure, if she'd been able to, she'd have shuddered at the sensation that flooded her, as just for a second Joko seemed to fall lax.

 

A second, quickly followed by Aurene hurtling in and crushing his body to pieces.

 

The holding released them, the commander and Braham falling to the ground. Braham chuckled as Aurene tore at the once-king. 

 

“Praise Joko”

 

The commander staggered, dizzy, shaking her head to clear it only to be overwhelmed further, she lowered herself to the floor.

 

“... Commander?” His voice came, tentative, suddenly cautious.

 

“I don’t… I don’t feel so well, Braham.”

 

His face became overcast with worry as he leaned forward, lifting her to his side.

 

“Well, let’s get out of here. Maybe fresh air will help you out.”

 

The commander could only nod, focusing on staying upright as they left the castle.

 

\-------

 

“So, uh, physically you're fit as you ever were… mentally? Spiritually?”

 

“That's where we have a problem. Joko did something before he left.”

 

“Exactly. Only, we don't know what because you're fighting it well enough that it hasn't, y’know, manifested yet” Taimi gestured randomly in nerves.

 

“We know I can't stay awake forever, Taimi. How do we figure out what this is?”

 

“Well, uh, the only way we can think of is to… let it in. Unless you've got some handy spirit-quest-giver who we can manage to talk to before you collapse. At least if you have some choice you may be able to control it again”

 

“May be able to? Taimi, this isn't particularly reassuring”

 

“Well we don't know what it is! I mean, you'll probably be able to deal with it, you're the  **commander** ”

 

The commander let out a little smile - one could always trust Taimi to be confident with her may-bes.

 

“And we've got a good testing room all set up, with stuff to knock you out if it goes really bad in some way, and lots and lots of clever people to look over you! You'll be fine!”

 

The commander leaned back in the bed for one last time before sitting up, “well, I suppose there's no time to waste.”

 

\-------

 

The chair had straps, and glowing strips all over it. Taimi assured that each had a purpose, though precisely what was baffling to the commander.

 

The assistants finished securing the straps and stepped out of the room. Taimi from the window in front gave a little wave before pressing a few buttons, causing some of the light strips to twist and rotate.

 

“Whenever you're ready, commander”

 

So she took a breath and slowly relaxed, and gently opened the door in her mind she'd so hastily slammed shut. And haste came from the other side, as whatever it was rushed in, spinning across her mind. She gasped, and tensed at the dizzying feeling”

 

“How are you doing, commander?”

 

She felt rather than made her eyes flick up to meet Taimi’s, her expression carefully sculpted soft.

 

“I, I think I'm okay”

 

She paused in confusion for a second, before clarity entered her mind as Taimi reached for the controls 

 

“Oh no you don't, you bastard!” she muttered loudly, just in time for those in front to pause, confused.

 

She breathed a couple of times, in, out, waiting, feeling distinctly and knowing that sitting presence in her mind.

 

‘I'd like to play the hero’ he'd said. Meaning ‘I'd like to play you’. She scoffed at his audacity, before she felt herself muttering

“Ooh, clever girl”, and blinking in shock - hers, or his?

 

The scientists at the front were all rather furiously making notes, as she looked up. She tapped her fingers, experimentally, just confirming she still had control.

 

And then  _ Joko _ tapped the fingers on her other hand in the same pattern. She tensed the fingers down into the desk. Had she overcome him, or had he given up? Was he weak or just toying with her?

 

“Commander? Status”

 

She looked up to the concerned Taimi. “Joko, he- he's in here.” A few gaps came from the assembled, some of which got their toes promptly stamped. 

 

She took a breath, and felt herself let out a sigh, “what was that, all of 30 seconds? We could have had  _ so much more fun _ , commander.”

 

She felt the crackling echoes, the lowness, slip into her voice as he spoke - that was something he was now deciding to do.

 

Her fingers rubbed together, her glance flicking up to Taimi’s shocked expression with a smirk, “so, what now, little Asur-”

 

“Would you shut up!” She yelled over him. She sensed him take a step back, shocked - truly shocked, unlike how he'd faked it before. He tried to speak through her again, “well-”

 

“No”

 

“This-”

 

“No”

 

He frowned, within her head. She sensed him reaching for words, and spoke over.

 

“Joko has had his speaking privileges rescinded and now I'm just speaking over him and this apparently means he doesn't get to speak unless he's faking that part-” she focused on taking a long breath “-he seems as surprised by his lack of control as anyone so I don't think he's faking and I'm going to continue to say things…”

 

The commander babbled on, feeling Joko become more and more frustrated in her head. Obviously it wasn't something she could keep up forever, she'd lose focus, but it certainly was satisfying for now.

 

And then his voice echoed in her head,  _ ‘very well, if you won't let me speak aloud I'll just open the gates up a little. I'm sure my continuous commentary and surface thoughts are far preferable to me ever speaking to others again. They certainly won't ever get confused with your own thoughts…’ _

 

She blanched and froze, the swirl of Joko’s surface thoughts open to her, and making itself known. He sat in her head, smirking as he watched her look.

 

_ 'Oh, I'm not putting it back. It's going to be a lot of effort for you to keep me from slipping out, but I get the impression that if anyone can do it it's  _ **_you_ ** _ , commander. So let's just say, you don't expend that effort, I don't let my deeper and darker thoughts slowly intertwine with your own until you can't tell what's you anymore. Deal?’ _

 

She frowned. It made sense, from both perspectives. Her tired and fighting wouldn't be able to get much done, and he was right - she didn't want his “ideals” anywhere near her. At the same time, he must still be confident he'd find a way out, and be loath to mix himself with her - or let her see his deeper plans.

 

She relaxed and muttered, “fine.” He laughed and grinned, leering her body forward, baring her teeth and watching as the assembled leaned away.” She let him sweep her gaze across the assembled - Taimi would let her out when she had sufficient information, and until then she was supposed to ‘relax’ and ‘let it in’.

 

“Hmm. Some of you would make very fine-”

 

“No - you don't get to talk about awakening through my mouth”

 

“Rules, rules, and more rules with you, commander. Do you have so many rules for yourself?”

 

“No, because I'm a decent person who does what I want without me needing to say it”

 

The assembled scientists and others outside were muttering and comparing notes, taking turns at the screen.

 

Her gaze ticked up to meet Taimi's, who shuddered. ‘ _ Wait, was that me or him’ _ she pondered for a moment, before he twisted her mouth into a smirk and Taimi turned away.

 

She learnt back into the chair, before suddenly remembering that he'd been completely shut out - exhausting as it had been, she should be able to do it again. She gathered herself up to push him back, to tie him off, and as she pushed she felt him chuckle.

 

_ 'Oh no, I'm in now, commander. Just like surface thoughts, and any other, once these barriers between our minds fall they're a lot harder to put back up. You can trust me on that.’ _

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know tags, ideas, etc. I've been intrigued by the idea of Joko having immortality through possession, so wrote out a divergence from the end of S4E3 in which he takes that path. Whether I continue this in any way is completely uncertain, basically up to inspiration.


End file.
